Can You Tell the Difference Between a Mosquito Bite and Basal Cell Carcinoma?

After spending several hundred dollars to get a biopsy on two spots on my chest it turns out they were mosquito bites. After being relieved that it wasn't skin cancer, I was surprised that you can't tell the difference. And I had told the nurse that I had bites several days ago and she said that wouldn't be it. Do they look that much alike?

Doctor Answers (4)

Basal cell carcinoma has many different shapes and colors and presentations

March 10th, 2011

{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

It is possible to quesiton a lesion as suspicious for a basal cell skin cancer when in reality it is a benign inflammatory condition. There is no dermatologist who can ever clinically diagnose lesions 100% correctly. Basal cell carcinoma can be red and flat or just slightly raised but often somewhat translucent and occasionally bug bites can have the same color but the history helps distinguish the lesions normally. There are additional examination techniques including dermatoscopy that can aid a dermatologist in arrriving at the correct diagnosis but not all specialists are trained in performing this procedure.

Mosquitoe Bite Mistaken for Basal Cell Carcinoma....Oops!

February 28th, 2011

{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

Hi J,

Sounds like an aggressive dermatologist. Basal cell carcinoma is present for some time before getting large enough to be noticeable. Combining history and physical exam, bug bites should not be confused with skin cancers. The physician won't make any money patiently watching a bug bite resolve. Sorry that you had to go through the expense of misdiagnosis. Good luck and be well.

Basal cell carcinoma vs. mosquito bites

February 28th, 2011

{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

Basal cell carcinoma skin cancers can be quite varied in appearance. They typically have a somewhat translucent, "pearly" appearance, but can occasionally resemble scars or even malignant melanoma. If they are inflamed, they might resemble bug bites.

By the time they are discovered, basal cell skin cancers may have been present for weeks to months.

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as
a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you
have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute
or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.